Page 11 of Best Summer Ever

‘I can imagine,’ Penny sighed. ‘Are you heartbroken about it?’

‘I’m really not,’ I was pleased to be able to honestly say, because my newer feelings about it all weren’tthatdistressing. ‘I’m still processing, but my heart is intact.’

I was a little bruised and embarrassed, but that was hopefully going to be the extent of it.

‘And what about Laurence?’ Nick asked. ‘Is he suffering?’

I had to smile at the loaded hope in his tone.

‘I don’t know.’ I shrugged, imagining Laurence eventually finding the note that stated what I’d seen and how it had been the proof I’d needed to confirm that ending things was the right, and only, outcome for us. ‘I left him a note at the flat and I’ve blocked his number.’

‘That’s how you broke up with him?’ Penny gasped.

‘Yep.’

‘Good for you,’ said Nick, smiling.

‘You don’t think he’ll show up here, do you?’ Penny asked.

‘I hope not!’ I blanched. I hadn’t considered that. ‘No. No, he won’t come here.’

Hopefully he’d assume that I’d told Mum and Dad what he’d done and as a result, he’d be too scared to face my father. He might try and call me, or email, but he wouldn’t have the courage to just turn up.

‘Do you mind if we change the subject?’ I asked. ‘Dad gave me some bottles of bitter to bring along. Where do you keep your bottle opener, Nick?’

‘In the kitchen drawer, next to the sink.’

‘Well,’ said Penny, giving me a sympathetic look, ‘if you do decide you want to talk about it, you know where I am.’

‘I do.’ I nodded. ‘And I appreciate that, Pen, I really do.’

‘And you can talk to me too,’ Nick called after me. ‘Though my response might be a bit different to the one you get from Pen.’

‘I’ve no doubt it would be,’ I laughed. ‘Thank you, Nick.’

Over drinks, a huge salad Penny had prepared and some charred offerings from Nick, we caught up with each other’s lives and I managed to keep the details of Laurence’s bad behaviour to myself in spite of the inhibition-busting bitter.

‘Tell Daisy what you’ve got lined up for the summer, Pen,’ Nick encouraged as he helped himself to the last chicken skewer and she mixed herself another weak shandy because she had to drive back to Wynmouth.

‘Something lined up for the summer?’ I frowned. ‘You’regoing to be in recovery from a mad end to the school term for at least a month, aren’t you?’

‘I am,’ she agreed, ‘but I’m trying my hand at something different while I recuperate.’

‘Oh?’

‘I’m taking over Sophie’s beach café while she and Hope are flying out to be with a sick relative in the Caribbean,’ she announced. ‘I can’t wait to start working with moreish sandwich fillings and sublime sweet bakes instead of sulky students!’

‘You’re never doing that?’ I asked, feeling shocked.

Normally Penny deservedly took the whole of the summer school break to rest and reset, but running the café wouldn’t allow for that. It was a very popular spot, being the only eatery on the beach. Actually, as far as I knew, it was still the only café in the whole of the village and the summer holidays were obviously its busiest time.

‘I am,’ she confirmed and sounded thrilled about it. ‘And it couldn’t have come at a better time. This year has been the toughest since I starting teaching and I’m seriously thinking about leaving education for good.’

‘You’re not?’ It was my turn to gasp then.

‘Can you believe it?’ said Nick, sounding sad.

We both knew what a fabulous teacher Penny was, so her loss would be a severe blow to the primary school she worked in. And the children she wouldn’t get to teach, as well. But that said, we also knew how much Penny enjoyed cooking and baking and how hard she’d found it to decide which career path to follow.

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